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17] Flashback # 4
Seven years later; June 2019
June nineteenth was never a normal day for Haider and his mother.
On this day, Haider had more than once, found his mother breaking down.
After about fifteen years, Falak still could not normally go on with this day. This wad the day on which his father embraced martyrdom.
It was about noon when Haider went into the kitchen to get some water when he saw his mother sitting on the floor, hugging her knees. She was weeping, but not a sound escaped her lips.
"Oh Mama." He muttered softly and sat down beside her, putting his arms around her in an effort to comfort her.
Truth to be told, it did bring comfort to her.
"I'm here." He said and hugged his mother, who continued to cry in his chest.
Haider dared not stop her as her as he knew it was no use. This happened each year and it was best to let her cry.
After about ten minutes of crying, Falak pulled herself away.
Haider looked at her intently as she wiped her tears with her sleeves. She gave him a small smile.
"Look at you, comforting me like that. It should be the other way around." She said, sniffing.
''After all these years, I think you deserve comfort, Mama." He replied with a grin.
Falak could only smile. She had no words to tell his son how proud she felt of him.
"Come on. Get up" he said, standing up. Falak took his hand and he hauled her to her feet.
"Now, you are going to rest." Haider commanded and led his mother to her room. Once she got into bed, he sat on a sofa, in the corner of the room.
There was silence. Falak looked at her son closely. He seemed like he wanted to say something. Falak sighed.
"Ask away." She smiled a bit.
"Huh?"
"What do you want to ask? I can see that you really want to yet don't know if you should."
Haider grinned.
"You know me too well, mother dear. I wanted to ask you that because you have never told me this and I have wanted to ask you this for a long time that how was Baba martyred? Like what was he doing? And how did Dada Abbu and Dado know that you had passed out?" Haider asked Falak.
Falak closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'll answer the second question first. You see, you grandparents didn't know. They knew Faaris was coming home that day, and decided to surprise us. Alhamdolillah for that. Allah knows what you would have done all alone. When they came to our home, they saw me unconscious on the lawn." Falak told her son.
"Oh wow."
"That was all Allah's planning. Allah had it all planned."
"Yeah."
"Now, after Faaris's janazah, his best friend Jarrar and his wife Alina came to visit. I asked him what exactly happened. He was not there, but as he was in the army, he had information. He told me that Faaris was in a jeep and was going to another unit to meet with the CO, when suddenly there was firing.
All the soldiers and Faaris starting firing back. The jeep stopped and there was a battle. Near the area there was a man, woman and their daughter. One of the terrorists got exceptionally near them and shot down the man. Faaris made his way to them and killed at him. Another terrorist jumped at him and fired at him repeatedly. Just before collapsing, Faaris fired his gun and amazingly the bullets hit him in the abdomen and caused him to die.
Faaris passed away on the spot." Falak wiped her tears that were streaming down her cheeks.
Haider lacked words. His eyes were filled with tears.
It was hard for a woman to explain how her late husband recieved many bullets and was martyred in the name of his country when his family was in the comfort of their homes, was it not? Did this give her a good enough excuse to cry profusely while telling her orphaned son about his father?
No, it certainly does not, she thought.
Falak immediately wiped away her tears with her hands, taking a deep breath.
"I'm sorry. I just can't-"
"Mama. You have every right to cry." Haider interrupted her.
Falak just looked at him.
"Don't you feel proud of your Baba?" She asked him.
"I do. My heart swells in pride when I talk about him. But I wish I could have spent more time with him.'' Haider replied with a sad mile.
"I do too. But he had to go. It was his duty to go. He had to go to protect this land. He had to to protect Pakistan." Falak said.
"He had to go because his land called." Haider continued his mother's words. A lone tear rolled down his cheek.
***
Falak was reorganizing her wardrobe. She was busy in work and was humming some old song.
As she took her clothes out she found something. She found her husband's uniform. After all these years, she still could get herself to store it way. It still hung in the corner of her cupboard, her dust.
She ran her hand over it sadly. She looked at intently and her eyes glistened with tears, but she held them back.
She didn't know, but her son was watching her. He was about to approach her when he saw his mother with his father's uniform. He did interrupt her moment as he didn't want her to cry. If she were left alone, she could get hold of her emotions before they got out of hand, Haider had learnt.
His heart went out to her. All these, she was alone. She brought up a son alone and faced everything life threw at her alone.
She dealt with the death of the only motherly figure in her life. Her mother in law. When she passed away, she had to comfort her son who had lost his grandmother. She had no one to comfort her. Her father in law was dealing with his own sorrows. While he had his two sons, and his sons and their wives, Falak had no one. She was alone.
Ever since he was a little boy, Haider had vowed to go to the army and make his mother and his country proud of him. Somehow.
When Haider was sure that Falak was busy in the kitchen, he took out his Baba's uniform and put it on. He stood in front of the mirror and carefully put the cap on his head. The uniform did not fit him properly as he still wasn't the same height as his father.
As he was busy looking at himself in the mirror, Falak came inside the room. He saw his mother's reflection the mirror. He became very shy and flustered all of a sudden.
Falak folded her arms and gave him a lopsided smile. She walked over to him and kissed his cheek, albeit she had to stand on her tiptoes.
"Mama! You don't kiss your son when he is in an army uniform! That's just so, so wrong!" Haider complained.
Falak pulled his ear.
"I will kiss my son whenever I want, mister! Even when he is in his underwear!"
"ASTAGHFIRULLAH!" Haider exclaimed, horrified.
"It's true." Falak said smugly and walked out of the room.
"Come on. Dinner is ready." She called behind her.
Haider hurried to get out of the uniform.
***
This was the second last chapter! Only one more chapter and the epilogue are left!!
I am gonna miss this book so much!! :'(
YOU ARE READING
His Land Called
Spiritual-Complete- He was her guide, And she was his darling. He was her rock, And she was his home. He was her ease, And she was his joy. He was her love, And she was his world, But he was a man with a duty, And he had to answer when his land called. ▪•▪•...
